The Olympus OM TTL flash system was a market leader when it was first launched. Other manufacturers have since caught up with and, in some cases, overtaken Olympus in this regard. Nevertheless, Olympus OM flash remains a very accurate and versatile system to this day. The T32 has been the company's 'flagship' flash unit for many years. It is quite powerful, with guide number = 32.

The head can be tilted upward by up to 90 degrees, for bounce flash, or downward by 15 degrees, for close-up. Bounce flash is supported in horizontal format; however, it doesn't swivel, so bounce flash in vertical format is not possible with the flash mounted in the camera's shoe. Also, there is no secondary fill-in light when using bounce flash. In portraiture, this can result in "raccoon eyes" and shadows under the nose and chin, unless the flash is reasonably far away from the subject.

It can be used in TTL mode, auto mode or manual mode. The back panel can be reversed, to switch it automatically to TTL mode, but I prefer using it with the panel in its normal position because it shows a useful distance-aperture table. I just have to remember always to ensure that the mode switch is in the right position.

The T32 uses four readily-available AA batteries, and is safe to use with rechargeables. It accommodates off-camera TTL flash, using a suitable Olympus extension cord. This enables much more flexibility than mounting the flash on the camera shoe. It can also be used with Olympus's "Bounce Grip 2", an on-camera bracket with a bigger power source for longer battery life. The use of this bracket is a good idea because it raises the flash well above the axis of the camera's lens, to help avoid unpleasant shadows and red-eye.

There is no fill-in flash facility as such, but in auto mode it can be fooled into providing suitably under-powered illumination by telling it that you are using a wider aperture than you really are. This is rather academic, though, because the flash synch. of OM cameras is only 1/60 second and that's too slow for most films in the sunlit conditions when fill-in is likely to be needed.

The T32's output beam is suitable for a 24mm lens but it has no built-in zoom facility to concentrate the light for longer lenses. Filters are available for fitting to the front of the reflector.

I bought my T32 flash in 1984 and it's seen a lot of use since then. Unfortunately, it's rather too heavy for its own strength and, as a result, the foot has developed a crack; this is a very common fault in used T32 flashes. Also, the slide-in plastic lid for the battery compartment has one of its brittle tabs broken off. (Have you ever noticed how many battery-driven devices have this problem?)

Apart from these minor problems, it's been a good, reliable flash and has always worked well with my OM-2S and OM-2n cameras.

Recommended: Yes